Model Library

Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST)

Model name: Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST)

Developed by: Natural Capital Project, a collaboration between Stanford University, The Nature Conservancy, and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) (Last update: 2023)

Model type: A suite of 2D, distributed, deterministic, hybrid ecosystem service models for large-scale analyses.

Model family: However, this project only accounts for the water quality and hydrological models of InVEST.

Computational requirements (software): 64-bit Windows/macOS, at least 8 GB of RAM, Python 3.x

Software requirements: GIS software, such as QGIS or ArcGIS, is often used alongside InVEST for preprocessing and visualizing spatial data.

Link to download model

Capabilities and Limitations:

Capabilities

  • Multi-service modeling;
  • User-friendly interface;
  • Containing fewer integrated algorithms than the other models;
  • Its Annual Water Yield (WY) model is designed for hydropower evaluation.

Limitations

  • The processes of glaciers and permafrost are not considered by the InVEST model (Wei et al., 2021);
  • The input data of the model is natural data, and the socio-economic-related data are rarely considered (Wei et al., 2021);
  • Sediment Delivery Ratio (SDR) model: Relies on the USLE equation, limiting its scope to overland erosion and requiring local modifications outside the US (Natural Capital Project, 2024); Excludes gully, stream bank, and tunnel erosions, focusing only on sheet and rill erosion (Renard et al., 1997; Gashaw et al., 2021); Highly sensitive to empirical parameters (k and IC₀); Low accuracy in simulating total sediment load (Gashaw et al., 2021);
  • Nutrient Delivery Ratio (NDR) model: Outputs are highly sensitive to input parameters; Oversimplifies processes by averaging factors like slope and intra-annual variability and may not fully capture nutrient dynamics; Neglects in-stream processes, assuming nutrients impact water quality only at the watershed outlet (Natural Capital Project, 2024);
  • Annual Water Yield (WY) model: Does not detailed water management or temporal/spatial variations; Simplifies land use patterns, water demand, and transfers, potentially misrepresenting yields (Natural Capital Project, 2024);
  • Seasonal Water Yield (SWYM) model: Simplified methods for quickflow and baseflow estimation; Absolute values are unreliable (Natural Capital Project, 2024).

Model Inputs and Outputs:

Inputs

Topography data (Gridded map/ DEM), LULC data, Soil map, Boundaries of watershed(s) and sub-watershed(s), Precipitation, Evapotranspiration, Hydrological data, Water quality data.

Outputs

Maps, Quantitative data on ecosystem services, Tables/statistics/reports of: Ecosystem service valuation, Sediment retention, Water yield, Hydropower production maps and economic evaluation, Nutrient retention, Pollination, Habitat quality and biodiversity assessment, Carbon storage and sequestration.

Examples:

References

Ramírez, L. R., & Säumel, I. (2023). There is glory in prevention! Regional spatio-temporal agrochemical runoff into aquatic ecosystems and its potential mitigation using multifunctional buffers. Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, 45, 101283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2022.101283

Campanhão, L. M. B., & Ranieri, V. E. L. (2023). Influence of forest proportion and configuration at the watershed and riparian zone scales on sediment yield: A simulation experiment. Landscape Ecology, 38, 2839–2860. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-023-01751-6

Objectives

This study aimed to answer the following research questions: (1) to what extent are different surrounding zones along aquatic ecosystems affected by land use changes?; (2) what are the potential phosphorus and glyphosate run-offs assuming different land use scenarios?; and (3) what trade-offs are typically possible between economic exploitation and the environmental impacts when establishing riparian buffer zones?

The objectives of the study are to evaluate how the proportion and configuration of forest cover at both the watershed and riparian zone scales influence sediment yield.